Senior sports reporter with The Age

Melbourne Heart coach John Aloisi was one of the country's finest goalscorers and a Socceroo striker for a decade and more.

How he must wish that his team could just find the sort of touch he so often showed and convert some of the chances they create in games.

The reason they languish at the foot of the A-League table is because they are simply unable to finish. Its why they lost again, 1-0 to another team coached by a former Socceroo in Tony Popovic, so often Aloisi's team-mate in the green and gold.

But Popovic's side does reflect its coach's most significant quality, the ability to defend and shut down its opposition. Popovic was a no nonsense centre back, and his team has been crafted in his image.

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But it also has the necessary flair to take the chances that come its way.

Its why West Sydney sits at the top of the table _ at least until Brisbane plays Central Coast on Sunday afternoon _ and Heart languishes at the bottom.

Aloisi is feeling the pain at the moment, but he is adamant that if his side persist in its pattern of play and retain self belief the results will come.

"Of course we would like to have more points and we think we deserve more points but the reality is that we have not got them. But we will keep on improving,'' he said after the loss on Friday evening.

He bridled at the suggestion that his side was toothless, arguing that two strikes against the bar and the fact that Wanderers were forced into a goal-line clearance suggested otherwise. But the reality is that Heart has not scored in its last three matches.

The coach did admit that he would like to see more midfielders and attacking players get into the penalty area during critical passages of play and rued the fact that injuries have dealt the club such a difficult hand. Harry Kewell and Dutch midfielder Orlando Engelaar are Aloisi's two key signings and Kewell has only played on game all season, Engelaar none.

Still, he believes that if the players can retain their confidence the results will come.

''I would be very worried if we were not creating opportunities. We are too good to have only two points.''

Popovic was low key in the post match press conference, playing up his side's confidence, togetherness and self belief as key factors for their remarkable resilience, but stressed that the season was still in its infancy.